Estranged
by smasher2k
Summary: A less than friendly meeting between two people who have much to discuss about the past. Contains Les, Leanne, Stella and few more Characters from Coronation Street. This summary may suck, but give the story a chance. I am trying not to spoil in in this short description.
1. Chapter 1

Estranged

Readers Note: - As we are all aware we are more than likely never going to see Les and Stella meet on screen at all. This is an idea that has been rattling around my head since Stella was introduced in the show and was discovered to be Leanne's Mother. Some little bits of pieces have been changed just to fit into my Story Idea but the main world is there.

Chapter One

Leanne gave out a load exasperated sigh out as she finished the last sentence of the e-mail she was currently reading. She was unsure how to take this and re-read it hoping that she had read it wrong.

_Leanne,_

_I'm so sorry that I was unable to make it to your wedding but I am so happy for you Lea. Hopefully things will go better with Nick than it did with Peter. _

_I know how busy you are with work and with looking after Si, so I thought it would be easy to contact you by this than by the phone._

_I've got a nice surprise for you. I'll be coming back to _Weatherfield_ next week for a few weeks. It's about time that I catch up with you and actually see Chesney's boy. _

_I can't wait to see you, considering with never really talk about anything more._

_I'll see you next week Lea, Have a pint ready for me in The Rovers and hopefully a warm welcome for this new landlady I've heard so much about! Apparently she is quite a looker, but that is all I can get out of Ches. I don't know why he won't tell me more about her!_

_See Ya_

_Dad._

Leanne put her head down into her hands. This was not a good thing for her, at one time she would have loved for her Dad to come back to Weatherfield and pay them all a visit. But since her Mum Stella had come back into her life she was dreading this moment coming. Both of her parents in the same place in the same time, and it wasn't like she could make certain that he would not go into the Rovers. Les love a pint and nothing would stop him from going, so she knew she wouldn't be able to try persuading him not to.

She had deliberately not told him about Stella being around considering his opinion of her that she could remember from the few times he talked about her when she was growing up. And she had asked everyone else not to mention that the new Rovers Landlady was her Mum and his ex-wife which why Chesney was being so elusive with him.

To be sure that he didn't find out about her, she had even made certain that during the short time that she lived in the pub that she didn't tell him she was there and also just told him to contact her on her mobile or by e-mail if he needed her which during that time he rarely did.

But now it seemed that scheming had come to nothing and the way that she had kept her Dad from knowing she was in contact with her Mum and actively having a relationship with probably about to end spectacularly when he would first see her over 30 years later on.

Leanne looked down at the clock on the computer before shutting it down, noting that the Rovers wasn't open yet and that also the Eva would be at work. The relationship between her and her Sister had improved slightly but it was still cold between them sometimes, and she knew that Eva would take this news with glee and run with it. So gratefully she and Stella would have a chance to talk to each other about this alone without the chance for anyone else to overhear them.

BANG! BANG!

Stella heard the doors to the Rovers rattle after each bang, looking at the clock she noted that it was still a long time until opening time which means the person who was pounded on her door would want to see her.

Walking out of the back room she headed to the front doors of the pub yelling out once to the person who was there.

"Hold On, I am coming."

Pulling down the locks that held the door shut she pulled open the doors to see her oldest daughter standing behind them.

"Lea, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk you, Can I come in?"

"Sure, go through the back" Stella said letting Leanne walk past her and quickly bolting the door behind her

Following her into the back room she watched Leanne quickly sit at one of the chairs at the table and she sat down next to her, quickly she spotted the look of anxiety and fear plastered over her face.

"What's the matter Lea, I can see from your face something is wrong."

"It's Dad."

"What about you're Dad?" Stella said cringing internally at the mention of Les

Leanne took a deep breath before speaking

"He's coming to Weatherfield next week for a few weeks, He is coming back to the Street"

Stella was slightly shocked by what Leanne has said.

"What! Les here on the Street." She blurted out before she managed to control her feelings. "Well, it was bound to happen at some point that he would come back for a visit."

Leanne's eyes quickly flitted down to her hand which were placed in her lap, trying to not catch Stella in the eye after she had finished speaking.

Stella was quick to notice that her daughter was avoiding her gaze and she decided to pull her up on it.

"Lea, what are you not telling me?"

Leanne looked backed up at her.

"Um, well Dad, doesn't actually know that you are here on the street, let alone running The Rovers. He still thinks that I have never meet my Mum in all these years."

Stella blinked and swallowed slightly at that, she had never broached the subject in the almost 18 months she had been back into her life.

"So Les doesn't know I'm here, doesn't know I am the Landlady of the pub that was his local and he doesn't know that you know who your Mum is."

"That's about it, I could never work out how to tell him that you around. Dad is going to completely lose it when he sees you Mum, he is not going to leave you alone until he knows that you have left Weatherfield and me for good."

"I'm sure you are worrying about nothing, there is plenty of water that has gone under the bridge since I left your Dad Love. I am sure me and Les can sort our issues like adults."

"I'm not sure Mum; look how long it took me to forgive you and actually build a relationship with you. The names I overheard him call you when talking to Gran sometimes when I was growing up, he never forgave you for walking away from him and leaving me with him. As I said he will hound you out of my life again, purely on the fact that you dared to have a relationship with me, I know how his mind works, you left him but only bothered to come back for me. If he can't have you, then I can't"

"Lea, Regardless what will happen when Les makes it back to Weatherfield be certain of one thing. Now that I am back in your life I plan not to leave it anytime soon. "

"Don't you care about what Dad called you at all? How he described you to Gran and to me?"

"From the few run-ins that I had with them both after I tried to get you back I am very much aware of how they thought of me and how they would describe me. I do need to know Love, how come Les hasn't found out I am actually here already. He must be in contact with some people here, Ches or Fiz perhaps?"

Leanne blushed slightly, she had been prepared for Stella for asking this question but the thought of answering it still made her worried.

"Well, I kind of pushed everyone that knew him quite forcefully not to mention your identity. All he knows is that there is new woman that has taken over being the Landlady of the Rovers and that the only involvement we have with each other is over a bar when I buy a drink."

Stella groaned slightly at that comment. Leanne could be quite a persuasive person when the moment needed it, exactly like she was. But as this moment in time she would have to be the more persuasive of the two when it came to next subject.

"I know Love that you want the least of amount of people to be aware that Les is making a visit until the last moment; but I think we need to let Eva know what is about to happen."

"Why?" Leanne was incensed that Stella thought it was appropriate to bring Eva into the loop in regards to the tangled web she has put herself in. She may have been her Sister, but there had never been much love between them since they had found out about each other, and especially since the stunt she had pulled at her first attempt to remarry Nick. "It's not like he is her Dad, she doesn't need a warning that he is coming into town to prepare to meet her."

What Leanne didn't notice was the minute moment of fear which came across Stella's face in regards to Eva's parentage. Something which she had never discussed with her older daughter at all. But she might had to quite soon in the future.

"She needs to know Leanne, with Les being in town and with her living in the Rovers she is going to notice your Dad coming into the pub with a seething hatred for me for what I did."

"I don't why. I forgave you for what happened and I should of have more reason to hate you compared to him, you were just married him and he then went onto meet Jan and be happy. You gave birth to me and left him."

"Let's just say there few more things than me just leaving him and you that has caused his intense feelings for me."

"Like what?" Leanne said her interest piqued.

"Like something which needs to be discussed between me and Les, if you need to be told Lea you will be." Stella said trying to steer the conversation away from this. Not even Eva knew the truth, as far as she knew her father was a one….

"Mum?" Leanne said "You blanked out for a moment."

"Sorry Love, but what I just said goes. She needs to know, Eva needs to know what is about to happen."

Both of the woman hadn't heard the door creak open and another person enter the room.

"Eva needs to know what?" Stella's younger daughter said.

Reviews? Comments? Should I continue with this? Any Opinions will be gratefully received. I may of ficced other shows but this is my first Corrie one so any comments will be received about the writing especially if I lean towards a more South East England way of speaking. My tenre living in the north was only for a short while and mostly before I have writing skills and my northern accent and phrasing has been gone for a long time now. So long I cannot remember when I stopped having it and picked up a Southern one!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I'll say it again Mum, I need to know what?" Eva asked again

Leanne felt like disappearing into the floor. Eva at some points had the worse sense of timing going. And this was most defiantly one of those times. Leanne had wanted some time to get used to Eva knowing about the mess that was about to descended on her and also prepare herself for the ridicule that undoubtedly Eva would start throwing at her.

"Hello Love, aren't' you supposed to be work?" Stella said smiling at her youngest child.

"Don't skirt around the issue mother, I am here because I left my purse. So what is it that I need to know?"

Stella eyes flitted across to Leanne who was cringing slightly. She hated the situation that Leanne was now in especially as it was caused by her.

"It your sister's choice Eva, she needs to make a decision if you need to be told or not."

"Mum, just tell her." Leanne said gesturing to one of the empty seats at the table inviting Eva to sit down. "Sit down, this may take a while."

Eva walked across to the table and sat down at the chair closest to Stella.

"What's going on Mum? You're worrying me."

"Lea has had some news which has come a bit of a shock. You've heard me talk about Les before love?"

"Yeah, he's Leanne's Dad isn't he? Your old boyfriend."

"Well, he is coming to Weatherfield for a visit soon."

"What about it? There's nothing strange about him wanting to visit his daughter."

"Eva, I never have told you much about what happened between me and Les and the reason why I felt I had to leave; I was unhappy after Leanne was born. Les didn't give a damn at all, I meet someone and went leaving Leanne with him. He despised me for walking away from him that day onwards and when I finally came to my senses and tried to get Leanne back he told me in no uncertainty circumstances what he thought of me" Stella said back trying to explain and justify what was going to happen whilst also omitting certain details.

Eva looked across at Leanne; a look of anger appearing slowly across her features. She had as Leanne feared decided to automatically place the blame on her; even if the situation was not of her causing.

"Oh great one Leanne, your psycho Dad is turning up and I'm guessing now me and Mum are going to live our lives in fear of what is going to do when he see's Mum behind the bar and you referring to her as Mum. Why can't you once and for all stay out of our lives, everything was so much better before you came part of our lives."

Stella was dismayed at what Eva had said as she viewed the look of venom in her face when she looked at her sister. She knew that Eva had not taken the news that she had a sister well and had tried many times to push her way from the family so Eva could have her to herself like it had been through her childhood.

"Eva!" Stella said turning to her face her youngest daughter to look her in the face. Knowing she had to look her in the eye to hammer home the point. "The situation with Les has nothing to do with Leanne. She did not ask to be abandoned by me; she did not ask for mine and Les relationship to fail because I found someone else and she did not ask for me to come back into her life when I did. Those three decisions were all mine no hers! Do not try and shift the blame onto her!"

Stella was getting incensed, the fact of the matter was she had made the situation worse that what it was because of a reckless decision she made years later in regards to Les when she tried to get Leanne back in the 1980's. The one thing she had not shared with either of her two daughters.

"But Mum..."

"But nothing Eva." Stella said jumping in. "I caused the problems and I will face up to them when Les arrives back in Weatherfield. Leave your sister alone and stop automatically blaming everything on her."

Eva was angry, she was still not used to Stella not automatically siding with her since she had found Leanne.

"Do I make myself understood? Les is not going to go after you, his problem is with me!"

"I suppose; so how long is it till he turns up."

Leanne only stayed a few more minutes in the pub before she gave her excuses and left, the most important person in regards to Les's arrival has been told but there was still two more people who needed to told or in one person's case be warned that her Dad was on the way. Her current husband and her ex-husband. Deciding that she wanted to get the bad conversation out the way before telling Nick she headed out of the Rovers door and down to the bookies.

Walking through the door she thankfully saw the bookies completely void of customers which she was glad to see, it would be much easier to have this conversation with just the two of them instead of in a bookies full of punters.

Peter looked up from the counter and started to speak.

What is going on Lea? Is it Si?" Peter asked, tensions were still strained between them and he still loved an opportunity to needle her and nick at every opportunity.

"Si is fine Peter, I have something to tell you or more so warn you."

"Warn me about what? You're not planning to move away again are you again with Si?

"No, Nothing like that. I and Nick are very happy here at the moment. What I need to warn you is that Dad is coming over next week."

"Les Battersby is coming back to Weatherfield. Why did you need to warn me of that? It's not like he's my father."

"Peter, since that last time you saw him. We have got married and divorced and you are with the woman who is the reason we split up. You know how it gets in regards to me!"

"I don't think I've got much too worried about, your Mum is going to get the flak of him worse. Have you told her or are you going to leave it a nasty surprise for her."

"Oh, she already knows. She was the first person I told. And she is in normal fashion taking it all in her stride. Unlike you which seem to be denial about the situation."

"I'm not in denial; I just don't think I have anything to worry about. Les is just all mouth, no way he is going to be coming in here and giving me a slap. You just came in here just so you can have a chance to argue with me."

Leanne turned around in the direction of the door, her back facing Peter. She had barely said two words to him and she already had enough of the atmosphere in the room and his snide comments. She had gone there with the best attentions, to actually give him a friendly warning about her father's appending arrival. She knew that he would have a few words to say to Peter, he had not been a happy man at all when she had told him her marriage to him failing due to the involvement of another woman. But as what seemed to be the naturally way for them now, Peter would always turn it into an argument between them.

"Whatever Peter; I just thought I would give you a friendly warning. Dad is coming to Weatherfield and is definitely going to want more than two words with what has happened between us and you and Carla."

Leanne stormed out of the door letting it slam heavily behind. Making quick work across the cobbles she tried to reconcile her feelings before walking into the Bistro to see her husband.

Tapping lightly on the door she had to only wait a few moments before she heard the key turning in the lock and the sound of the door opening.

Nick smiled while he spotted his wife behind it, opening it a little fuller to allow her in to the building.

"Hello Love." He said leaning down to kiss her lightly on the mouth "I thought you were staying at home this morning to do the paperwork."

"That was the plan, until I got a bit of a surprise via an e-mail that was sent."

"What was the surprise?" Nick said draping his arm over Leanne's shoulder, he had already locked the door to the bistro

Leanne leaned into Nick's embrace

"It was an e-mail from Dad, he is coming to Weatherfield next week for a visit. That's the surprise."

Nick spluttered slightly at that

"Your Dad back in Weatherfield? That was something that I never expect would happen." Nick looked down slightly as his wife as they walked into the main part of the bistro. "Has Stella been told?"

"Yeah, I spoke to Mum already. She is been hard faced about and saying that she is not worried about it all, but I can see that she is but I have a feeling there is something that she is not telling me. Something about her and Dad"

"You're probably right Lea, I'm sure there is a lot more in regards to her relationship with Les crumbling that what she has shared with you. She is probably worrying that seeing Les is going to bring it all back to the surface; that he is going to use what happened between them against her and drive a wedge between you two. That is more than likely what is scaring and worrying her."

"Maybe. Just going to be strange to see both of them on Street. I can't remember ever seeing them together; Mum Left because I had any memories of her in my life, and Dad never showed me or had any photos of her around. And I don't know what is going to do when he finds out that I am lying to him about her and making everyone else do as well."

"Oh Lea." Nick said pulling his wife into a closer embrace.

Whilst Leanne had been going around explaining to the two men in her life that her father was coming to town Stella has been sitting in the backroom of the Rovers just thinking. Stella had forced Eva back to work explaining that she would get the sack if she stayed with her and now she was just stewing.

She had almost knew that this day had to come; once she had got Leanne back in her life she knew she would have to face seeing Les at some point. But even knowing this was still leaving her unprepared for what was going to happen.

Leanne and Eva thought they knew full story which happened between her Les. Her having Leanne at such a young age, Les drinking heavily and pushing bother her and Leanne away. The man she walked out on her oldest daughter for because he made her feel like she was worth a lot more than Les had done.

She loved being a Mother; her girls were her life and especially Leanne was the unattainable person for so much of her life. One of her greatest regrets but she had another one which was so bad but she did gain something so precious for it.

She had told Leanne that she tried so hard to get her back but she hadn't told Leanne exactly when she had tired in case she had worked it out. So she didn't work out what Stella had done to try and get Les to let her have her daughter back. The level she had dropped to try and get her daughter back and the situation she found herself in after that.

But know she had a decision to make.

Should she tell the girls now or wait see if Les would reveal all when he descended into town.

All she knew was the regardless the way it could come out she would end up losing the relationship with either one or both of her daughters.

Taking a deep breath in she mentally pulled herself together to face the day, plastering on a smile to make certain that nobody could see that she was scared.

She heard a tap on the door and the face of her new chef popped out.

"You ready boss?" Mandy asked

"Ready as I can be"

And by that she meant it in more than one way.

The past week had flown past and the day that two residents of the street were dreading was here. The day of Les Battersby's arrival onto Coronation Street, the day which could end up flipping the lives of some of the residents.

Leanne was stood outside the front door of the building which led to her and Nick's flat. She felt exasperated already and he had only been there for half an hour. But as this moment she was desperately trying to wangle her father to not head to the pub.

"Oh, Come on Dad. You've barely been here 5 Minutes; don't you think it is too soon to be heading to the Rovers. And I need to go pick Si up from school soon; I thought you could come with me to get him."

"Oh Lea Love, One quick pint just so I can feel like I am back in Weatherfield. Then we can go pick up Si. Anyway I need to go and check out the landlady of the bar; for what I've been told she is quite a looker."

Leanne let out a sigh and followed quickly behind Les who was striding purposefully to the pub, praying silently that her Mum wasn't behind the bar at the moment in time and that she had decided to step out or was out in the Rovers back room.

They quickly got to the front door of the Rovers and Leanne tried one more time to stop him.

"Why don't we go to the Bistro instead? You won't have to pay for a drink there considering Nick owns it."

"A pint doesn't cost that much Love, and the Rovers was my Local. So a quick drink here and then if you really want to show of this Bistro we can go after we get Simon. Now come on Love, your old Dad will buy you a drink for old times' sake." Les said pushing the door of the Rovers open spying the back of the blonde barmaid standing behind the bar near the optics.

"I'll have a pint; and what every my daughter wants. "He said

Stella started her sentence before she turned around.

"Sure thing Love, and for you?" She said automatically, before her eyes settled on the woman he was referring to when she turned around, her daughter. Her eyes flittered up and spotted the man next to her.

Whilst she was reconciling the man in front of her being Les, he was as well. Stella was aware that she was going to see him at some point but for Les it was a shock and he was trying to persuade his mind that the person who was in front of him was not who he thought it was. But he was fitting a losing battle, he knew exactly who she was and he was not happy to see her larger in life right in front of him.

"Stella" He said his voice dripping with venom, all the old feelings from the past bubbling up.

Stella stepped closer, standing right next to the bar.

"Hello, Les. It has been a very long time." She said smiling slightly.

Les was getting angrier as the seconds went on. He had quickly realised that everyone, Leanne including had been actively lying to him. Stella had been there for a long time by the way she was so comfortable and he knew it. And he especially knew that Leanne was aware who Stella was by the way Leanne had tried to stop him going to the Rovers only moments ago which now seemed like a lifetime.

"Stella" He said once more as stood forward and stood right in front of her. His face right in hers. "What the hell are you doing her you bitch?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Stella's face dropped; she could see the hatred plastered all over Les's face. He was angry and he was making certain that she was aware of it. Keeping her face calm and her voice even she spoke to him.

"Not here Les; come out the back and talk about this. This is the not the place to have this conversation. "

"I think this is the perfect place Stella. A chance for your customers to find out what a self-centred bitch you are actually are" Les shouted this out at her. Not knowing that the customers of the Rovers and the community at large knew most of the story already due to Leanne's outburst in the pub when she had found out who Stella was.

During these first few exchanges Leanne had just stood by the pub door, to the outside observer she could be consider to be cowering away, but in fact her mind was trying to reconcile this. The first time she had seen her parents together in one room. Pulling herself together she stood forward and put her left hand on to Les arm.

"Dad Please; Do what Mum says. Go out the back and talk about this."

Les shook Leanne's hand of his arm and craned his head towards her.

"You have no right to tell me what to do. And don't expect to get away with this Leanne. You and I will have serious words about the fact you can lie straight to my face and protect the bitch that abandoned you as a baby. Or are you just turning into your bitch Mother who would do anything just to get one over me"

"Enough" Stella's voice rang out "You can say what you damn well like to me. I probably do deserve some of the things you could say to me. But you do not say those things to Leanne and you do not threaten her! Now stop playing the room and come out to the back were we can discuss this like adults."

Les had never seen Stella be so forthcoming with her words and also seemingly unwilling to back down.

Les walked past and forcible pulled up the hatch, letting it hit when it come up to the rest. Almost storming past Stella to the back room of the pub.

Leanne stepped forwards past the side of the bar and towards the hatchway. Planning to walk through it and join her parents.

Stella stood in front of Leanne stopping her going through.

"No Love, this is between me and your dad and we need to talk about a few things first. And I don't want you to be put in the middle out there with us. And some things are probably best kept between the two of us."

Leanne just stood there; watching the departing figure of her mother going through to the back. Quickly pulling her phone out of her pocket she called her sister to warn her that her Dad had arrived.

Stella walked through the door to the room. Spying Les just standing there, his face like thunder she mentally prepared herself for the onslaught.

"Hello Les, It's been a long time hasn't it" She said as an opener.

"And here's me thinking it was going to be a good lot longer. What the hell are you doing on the street; I thought I warned you the last time I saw you that you would never have anything to do with her ever again."

"What right do you have to tell me that? What about Leanne? Don't you think that she should have a choice about this? She is a grown woman; and regardless what I did to her she had embraced me into her life."

"Embraced you into her life? More than likely embraced the lies you told her. I better you painted yourself as the injured party. Poor Stella, abandoned by her husband, hard done by and because of all that incapable to look after her own child."

"Yes, I may have told her that. But I also told her that I meet someone else as well. That that was the catalyst for me leaving her at that time." Stella raised her eyes to look him in the eye. "And I also told her I tried to get her back and you stopped me"

"Get her back Stella; you acted like a total slapper trying to get her back. By getting some kid to threaten me and my Mother, Thinking that by sleeping with me once that I would give her straight back to you after raising her for almost 6 years by myself. I'm guessing that you didn't tell her that."

"I'd knew that you would throw that straight in my face, the first option that you got. And yes, I didn't tell our daughter that I technically prostituted myself so I could have my child back. And you know Les that you would of. You told me as such, that your life would be so much easier without as you described it my daughter."

Les sat down at the table.

"What I don't get Stella. You slept with me, I offered Leanne back to you if you did it one more time. Yet I never saw you again. You must not have wanted her as much as you protested."

"I had my reasons." Stella eyes flitted across to the photo of Eva on her mantelpiece.

"I presume it is something to do with the girl in the picture over there. Another daughter? I presume she was the reason you never came back. Couldn't face telling her how you abandoned her old sister? Would of been an interesting conversation having to explain where this other child has just appeared from."

"It wasn't that Les. There was a reason but it wasn't that. Anyway Eva, looks a lot older that she actually is"

"So what was you reasoning Stella. I can't work out why you just disappeared like that without taking the one thing you told me you wanted the most"

Stella took a deep breath in. She never thought that she would have to tell anyone this secret but it seems now it would had to come out. After nearly 25 years of keeping quiet about this. One of her sordid secrets was about to come out.

"Well, the girl in that photo Eva. She's your daughter as well Les. You got me pregnant that night. That's why I disappeared again, I didn't want both of my daughters destroyed be a feckless loser like you."

Les stood up forcible and caused his chair to bang heavily onto the floor, he was shaking with anger. He stormed across the room and stood directly in front of her and screamed at her.

"You lying bitch! That girl is not my child! She is product of one of your dirty affairs and you know it!"

Stella raised her hands up and pushed Les back. Her voiced came out loud and clear.

"I'm not lying Les! Eva is your daughter!" She yelled this out.

What Stella hadn't known when she has said those words that the door has just been opened by her youngest child with her older sister in-tow. When Eva had received the call form Leanne she has ran straight back across to Rovers where she had waited in the bar with Leanne until they had the commotion which had just happened and decided to go into that room and try and calm things down. But of course there timing had left much to be desired.

"Please Mum, tell me that is not truth! That he is not my father" She said her voice pleading as Stella quickly turned round and saw her daughters standing there. Knowing from that moment her life was going to crumble around her.

Readers Note: My apologies on the delay getting this updated! Let's just say work and life got in the way. Enjoy and review people!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"He is not my father?" Eva repeated trying to desperately convince herself that she had misheard her mother. "Mum? Tell me"

Stella stood there stunned. This was never the way she wanted her youngest daughter to find out about her parentage. Shaking her head she cleared her thoughts and made a decision. She needed to tell her girls at the same time; and she was hoping that they wouldn't turn their backs on her when they found out the truth.

"Can you go and your sister love. You both will need to hear this."

"Mum?" Eva said pleading. Her eyes failing distantly over the man standing in the room. Her mum's ex someone she had never heard her mention anything good about. Her only thought was that this man was not father, and this was a desperate thought.

"Get Leanne, and then I will talk to both to you. She has the right to know this as well considering how it will affect her."

Eva slowly pulled the door behind her; and quickly pulled herself together, hiding any hint of emotion from her face. The family front had to put in place before she could head into the bar.

Just as she set off she overheard Les speaking.

"Well Stella, it looks like you are going to lose everything again. And I will be happy that you will. You don't deserve anything good.

Eva wanted to turn around and storm back into the room and slap this man that could be her father. She and Leanne may have had their problems and arguments with their mother but no-one outside the family could get away with saying anything like that to her. But she knew if she did then Stella would clam up completely and she need to ascertain the truth so badly.

Striding purposefully into the bar she spied her sister hunched over a table trying to block out everyone around her.

"Lea, you need to come with me. Mum wants to talk to both of us." Eva said bending down slightly

Leanne knew that Les was still out there with Mum. And considering that she had just been told that she was to stay away whilst they talked so she found this rather perplexing.

"Did she say what about? She just told me to say here under no certain terms. Why would she want to talk to us now? And how did she tell you, you didn't storm into the room did you?"

Eva chocked back, she had a feeling what this was about but she wasn't go to be the one to tell Lea. This was Stella's mess and she was not going to take the flax on her side for stirring. Especially considering what was about to happen.

"Let me just say Lea, that it was case of wrong time and very much wrong place. As for what, I'm not sure. I'm sure Mum will explain everything in due course."

For once Leanne could feel that there was some sense of feeling from Eva in regards to a family connection. That for once she was fully embracing her as her sister. Of course she thought this was due to her feeling sorry for her after seeing her father for the first time.

Pushing herself from her chair Leanne slowly trailed behind her sister almost like a funeral procession, knowing this would be a uncomfortable and painful situation to be in.

Walking into the back room of the pub she could feel the palpable tension in the room and also the looks of angry both mirrored on her parents faces.

She looked over at her mother and caught her eye.

"Are you okay Mum? " She asked.

"I'm okay. Please can you sit down, you to Eva. There is something I need to tell you."

Stella walked over to the table and sat down in-between her two daughters. Looking at each one deeply in the face before speaking.

"There is something I need to share with both of you. Something I should have told you a long time ago." Stella said reaching over and squeezing Eva's hand." And especially you Love, and I hope you will understand it."

Leanne flicked her eyes up her Dad.

"What about him? How can something involving me and Eva involve him as well? He is my father not Eva's"

"This does involve him as well. He was unaware up until a few moments ago himself."

In her usual fashion Eva decided to just push ahead and get things going. She was on tenterhooks and she knew her mother would just slowly get to the point.

"Just spit it out mother, I have a strong idea what you about to say considering what I walked in. So just say it."

Stella was sometimes amazed at the bluntness of her youngest daughter. Taking an extremely deep breath in and exhaling it slowly before she started.

"Eva, I know you have always believe that you father was just a man I meet one night in the bar. That we had an encounter and I feel pregnant with you and decided to have you. Well, that was the truth. I just haven't been able to face telling you. Les, is Leanne's father as well you know, but he is also yours."

Leanne was flabbergasted by that statement. While Eva just sat her world starting to fall around as her identity that she had had for over 20 years was ripped apart.

"That's not possible. You told me that you didn't see Dad again after you left. That gran stopped you. Eva's six years younger than me. There is no way that can be possible."

"What I told you about the last time I saw Les wasn't exactly true. I did seem a few more times from the moment I last saw you, were I was begging him to let me have you back. I was so desperate to have you and you father offered me way to do so. "

Leanne's face whitened when she worked out what Stella was alluding. And she was disgusted with her father. The fact that he was willing to just give her over to her mother at the time who she had never meet even then; just so he could get his leg over.

Her eyes looked over at her father. She could see him squirming. She had known that he was not a saint but this had really changed her opinion of him. To force Mum to do that to try and get her child back.

Whilst Leanne had been musing what Stella had said to them; Eva had been getting increasingly angrier at the situation. Not so much at her mother, she was more disappointed that she had seen fit to cover up her parentage all these years. She was angrier at that man. That fact that he had hurt Stella on more than one occasion. Too her eyes, whilst it was good to least have a name for her father, she could only consider him as a sperm donor and that was it. He would never be her father in her eyes.

Eva looked over to her Mum. She had to put this bluntly.

"So he made you prostitute yourself to him to get Leanne back. I get that. But you slept with him that is obvious enough. But you didn't get Lea back, she still grew up with him. And I with you only. What happened? Why didn't I have my sister with me growing up?"

"That was the plan. I slept with him. Arranged with him to get Leanne back and then I found out I was pregnant with you." Stella's eye started to water slightly and see reached out to grasp Leanne's hand. "This is where I need to apologise to you Lea, I planned to go back and get you. I really did. But as soon as I found out that I was pregnant with Eva I ran, I couldn't have Les ruining her life as well. I wish I hadn't love. But I was scared. Please don't be angry with me, I didn't want to abandon you twice. I just couldn't face putting Eva into the same situation. Having that man as her father. A man who only wants his partner and children around if they could so something for him. And forgetting them when he doesn't need them."

Whilst Stella was telling the girls what had happened, Les had stood there stoically. But as soon as Stella had started lambasting him he couldn't stand it no more. He wouldn't have that self-righteous woman criticising him in such a way and let her get away with.

"You Bitch!" He spat out "You're sitting there self-righteously asking for them to forgive you when you hid the fact that I had another child. And abandoned your eldest daughter again to protect yourself and your child which you saw fit to raise, something which you could not manage in regards to Leanne."

Stella stood up and walked across to Les. Putting her face directly into his.

"Stop trying to get sympathy. You don't really give a damn about Leanne. She has only ever been a pawn you can use against me and everyone else who dares to crictise you. You turned into a lazy laybout because you had to raise her; but you didn't you get Janice to do that. She was more a parent than you was. You drink too much, that's because of Leanne stressing you I guess. She was barely a few weeks old when you started to go out drinking everynight to get away from her crying. So don't make up that you are upset about not knowing about Eva. You didn't give a damn about Leanne and you wouldn't done about Eva. You just scared that you lost face again."

Stella was getting angrier per every passing second.

"You didn't give a damn about Leanne when I came back for her. You offered her over to get something out of me. Eva was right, you made me prostitute myself to try and get her back. I have only been back in her life for her last 18 months but I have a better relationship with her that what you have had in the last 31 years."

Les started to bring his hand up. And Stella could read straight away with what he was going to do.

"Don't you dare Les; I am not that scared Girl anymore. You try it and you will be straight out of my pub."

"Enough" Leanne yelled out. "You are arguing in circles. You have both done things which have affected both me and Eva. Neither of you are blemish free. I think everyone needs to take a break and come back to this. Dad, just go back to the flat. Sit there, have a drink and calm down. Mum, you and Eva need to talk. You have just turned her world inside out and you need to explain why you lied to her and some point why you are lying to me."

"And you love?" Stella asked almost happy that her oldest daughter had stopped them. She knew Leanne was right. They needed breathing space from each other. Especially her and Les. And she really need to talk to Eva and start slowly mending the bridge between them and properly explaining why she had lied about her father. "What are you going to do?"

"Well considering what the time is. I am going to pick Si up from school. Where I am guessing I will need to explain to him what has happened now. That Eva's is not my half-sister but actually my full sister. And then I better go tell my husband what has gone on here. If he is going to be in the flat with Dad he has the right to know what has gone on here."

Leanne stood up and walked over to the door and threw a look over her shoulder at her mother.

"And at some point soon you and me Mum are going to have a honest talk about what went out and why you couldn't take me back after Dad offered me to you. As it now seems that you not just abandoned me once but actually twice."


End file.
